Brain Autoregulation Research Study

July 14, 2026 updated by: Jennie E Minnich

A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility and Safety of Targeting Mean Arterial Pressure to Reduce Intra-operative Hypotension

Randomized, multi-site, study assessing the feasibility of lower limit of autoregulation targeted mean arterial pressure (MAP) vs. standard MAP management in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. After eligibility screening and consent, subjects will be randomized to either the intervention (study) or control group.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect.1 Surgery to treat CHD is complicated by white matter injury (WMI) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurodevelopmental (ND) deficits in 50% to 75% of neonates after CHD surgery.2-6 Cerebral hypoperfusion is a major mechanism of brain injury during both cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the perioperative period in the intensive care unit (ICU).7-10 Investigators lack diagnostic and therapeutic means to reduce cerebral hypoperfusion-associated white matter injury (WMI) and improve long-term ND outcomes.11 Our long-term goal is to use real-time measurement of the cerebral lower limit of autoregulation (LLA) to manage arterial blood pressure, reduce cerebral hypoperfusion-associated brain injury, and improve long-term ND outcomes in children at risk for brain hypoperfusion. In a prospective, single blind, randomized clinical trial (RCT) in adults undergoing cardiac surgery, investigators previously showed that targeted LLA arterial blood pressure management to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) above the LLA decreased the incidence of postoperative delirium by 45%.12 Our preliminary data indicate that neonates are exposed to significantly more cerebral hypotension than adult patients undergoing CPB. Our central hypothesis is that a strategy of targeting mean arterial pressure (MAP) to a level above an individual's LLA will reduce the risk for WMI and neurodevelopmental impairment in neonates undergoing congenital heart surgery. Our team has validated methodology to delineate the LLA and demonstrated the important role of cerebral autoregulation monitoring on short-term outcomes in CHD subjects who have undergone CPB.13 We can rigorously measure cerebral autoregulation in real time and the amount of cerebral hypotension (duration and magnitude) through the integration of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and the arterial blood pressure.14,15 The efficacy of an LLA targeted MAP strategy to minimize WMI and improve ND outcomes can only be demonstrated by a prospective, single-blind, multi-center randomized RCT. To obtain funding for this large multi-center RCT will require the demonstration of feasibility and safety, as well as, an estimation of the sample size needed to show efficacy.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195
        • The Cleveland Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All neonates (<30 days of age)
  • Undergoing cardiothoracic surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Less than full term (<37 weeks gestation)
  • Weight < 2.50kg
  • Genetic abnormality or syndrome except heterotaxy syndrome
  • Major non-cardiac anomalies (e.g. congenital diaphragmatic hernia, - omphalocele, holoprosencephaly, anencephaly)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention (Study) Group
Neonates undergoing cardiothoracic surgery (CT) utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) who will have active management of their mean arterial pressure (MAP) to keep the MAP above the LLA as measured by a novel autoregulation monitoring modality.
Device: Surgery with Active MAP Management
Neonates undergoing cardiothoracic surgery (CT) utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) who will have active management of their mean arterial pressure (MAP) to keep the MAP above the LLA as measured by a novel autoregulation monitoring modality.
Sham Comparator: Control Group
Neonates undergoing cardiothoracic surgery (CT) utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) who will have management of their MAP by institutional practice without guidance from an autoregulation monitoring modality.
Other: Surgery without Active MAP Management
Neonates undergoing cardiothoracic surgery (CT) utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) who will have management of their MAP by institutional practice without guidance from an autoregulation monitoring modality.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Aim 1: Hypotension Exposure
Time Frame: From beginning of surgery until 72 hours post-surgery
Primary outcome is to reduce hypotension exposure, defined as the product of duration and magnitude of arterial blood pressure below LLA measured in the operating room and for the first 72 hours in the ICU.
From beginning of surgery until 72 hours post-surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Aim 2: Lower Limit Autoregulation Monitoring (LLA)
Time Frame: First 30 days post-surgery in the ICU
To determine LLA targeted MAP vs standard MAP management in real time will not increase perioperative mortality and morbidity in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB
First 30 days post-surgery in the ICU

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Aim 3: Mean Arterial Pressure Management
Time Frame: Seizure assessment by EEG first 48 hours post-op, White matter injury assessment by Brain MRI 7-21 days post-op, neurodevelopmental outcome (neurobehavioral assessment at 30 days or at discharge by the NBO, Bayley-4 at 6 and 12 months).
Compare LLA targeted MAP vs standard of care MAP management in reducing white matter injury and seizure occurrence and improve neurodevelopment outcomes.
Seizure assessment by EEG first 48 hours post-op, White matter injury assessment by Brain MRI 7-21 days post-op, neurodevelopmental outcome (neurobehavioral assessment at 30 days or at discharge by the NBO, Bayley-4 at 6 and 12 months).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Jennie E Minnich

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Bradley Marino, MD, MPP, MSSCE, MBA, The Cleveland Clinic

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 25, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 25, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB 22-1348

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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